What is a Mentor Text? A mentor text is any piece of writing that can be used to teach a writer about some aspect of writer’s craft.
Mentor texts can take the form of any genre: picture book, excerpt from a chapter book, a magazine or newspaper article, an editorial, a cookbook, etc. Relatively short pieces of text work best.
The best mentor texts are those that can be used numerous times throughout the school year to demonstrate many different craft moves.
Most mentor text mini-lessons fall into one of three categories:
Idea: the text inspires the writer to create an original idea based on one from the text.
Structure: the text presents on organizational structure that the writer tries to emulate using original ideas.
Written Craft: the author’s writing style, ways with words, or sentence structure inspires the writer to try out these techniques.
As we build our mentor text lists and libraries, we should look for texts from all three categories.
When using mentor texts, it is important to remember that we are teaching a particular strategy or craft move—we are not teaching the book.
Why use a Mentor Text?
Mentor texts help students envision possibilities for their own writing.
They provide a model of what good writing looks like.
They help students grow as writers by giving them something to emulate.
Exposure to mentor texts encourages students to take risks in their writing, to try something new.
Mentor texts inspire and ignite writers.
Mentor texts help us “show” not just “tell” our students what good writing looks like.
This is how real writers work—they look to other writers for ideas and ways to craft and structure their writing.
This Youtube video describes the importance of using a mentor text.
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What is a Mentor Text?
A mentor text is any piece of writing that can be used to teach a writer about some aspect of writer’s craft.
Mentor texts can take the form of any genre: picture book, excerpt from a chapter book, a magazine or newspaper article, an editorial, a cookbook, etc. Relatively short pieces of text work best.
The best mentor texts are those that can be used numerous times throughout the school year to demonstrate many different craft moves.
Most mentor text mini-lessons fall into one of three categories:
Idea: the text inspires the writer to create an original idea based on one from the text.
Structure: the text presents on organizational structure that the writer tries to emulate using original ideas.
Written Craft: the author’s writing style, ways with words, or sentence structure inspires the writer to try out these techniques.
As we build our mentor text lists and libraries, we should look for texts from all three categories.
When using mentor texts, it is important to remember that we are teaching a particular strategy or craft move—we are not teaching the book.
Why use a Mentor Text?
Mentor texts help students envision possibilities for their own writing.
They provide a model of what good writing looks like.
They help students grow as writers by giving them something to emulate.
Exposure to mentor texts encourages students to take risks in their writing, to try something new.
Mentor texts inspire and ignite writers.
Mentor texts help us “show” not just “tell” our students what good writing looks like.
This is how real writers work—they look to other writers for ideas and ways to craft and structure their writing.
This Youtube video describes the importance of using a mentor text.
Also, this link shows
Using a Mentor Text in action!!
Below is a list of Mentor Text that you can use in during Writer's Workshop.
Books that get workshop started- Sparking Ideas!
Arthur Writes a Story by Marc Brown- Helps students with writing their own story
The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper- Something you did that you didn't think you could do
The Art Lesson by Tomi de Paola- Perseverance
Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes- Don't like your name or other attributes
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst- A bad day
Memories and Memoirs
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak- Mischief
No, David by David Shannon- Mischief
Wilfred Gordon MacDonald Partridge by Mem Fox- Memories
Koala Lou by Mem Fox- A time you wanted something very badly
Firetalking by Patricia Polacco- Author's memoir
Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco - A time you were scared
Books That Lend Themselves To Expository Writing
Description
Read Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert
Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert
Have You Seen Trees by JoAnne Oppenheim
Persuasive
A Home for Spooky by Gloria Rand - Abandoning animals and pets
Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dave Pilkey- Don't eat turkey
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg- Is there a Santa?
Lists
Tommy at The Grocery Store by Bill Grossman
Ira Sleeps Over by Bernard Waber
Letters/Notes
Lily's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
The Jolly Postman by Janet & Allan Ahlberg
Yours Truly, Goldilocks by Leslie Tyron
Dairy Entries
Past and Present by Alison Adams
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
A Gathering of Days by Joan Blos
Recipes
The Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Ann Hoberman
Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper
Nonfiction
National Geographic for Kids magazine
Kids Discover magazine
Resources
Mentor Text List
More Mentor Text Ideas